Casting for Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies

Ben Miles will play Thomas Cromwell in our double bill of Hilary Mantel's prize-winning novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.

Ben returns having begun his career at the RSC. He last performed here in The Two Gentlemen of Verona in 1993. Other theatre credits include Love, Love, Love (Royal Court); Betrayal (Harold Pinter Theatre) and Measure for Measure (Almeida). TV work includes The Promise, Zen and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. He will appear later this year in Sky Living's new series Dracula.

Nathaniel Parker will play Henry VIII; his credits include three series of the BBC's Inspector Lynley Mysteries and the television adaptation of Bleak House. Nathaniel returns to the RSC after 26 years. Nathaniel recently played Gordon Brown in the West End production of The Audience.

Paul Jesson returns to the RSC to play Cardinal Wolsey, having last appeared in Troilus and Cressida as part of the Complete Works Festival. His other theatre credits include Sam Mendes productions of The Winter's Tale and The Cherry Orchard (BAM).

Lucy Briers makes her RSC debut as Catherine of Aragon. She is currently appearing in BBC2's Count Arthur Strong. Previous TV credits include Parade's End, Ashes to Ashes and Pride and Prejudice. Lucy will also appear in the Alan Partridge feature film in August.

Wolf Hall won the Man Booker in 2009, and Bring Up the Bodies won in 2012, making Mantel the first woman ever to have received the award twice. The books will be adapted by Mike Poulton who has previously worked with on The Canterbury Tales Parts I and II, St Erkenwald and Gregory Doran's Morte d'Arthur.

Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies will play in repertoire from December 2013 in the Swan Theatre, directed by Jeremy Herrin.